Promoting and preserving Cherokee culture

By TEDDYE SNELL

Visitors to the heart of the Cherokee Nation will find myriad events in store for them this summer at the Cherokee Heritage Center.

Opened in 1967 on the original site of the original Cherokee Female Seminary, the Heritage Center is a four-phase project, including a museum, amphitheater, an ancient village and a historical community as it would have appeared during the Civil War.

At the time of initial construction, the site was an all but forgotten piece of land south of Tahlequah. Yet, two men with vision - Cherokee Principal Chief W.W. Keeler and Martin Hagerstrand - transformed the dense undergrowth to a cultural landscape, while preserving and keeping the seminary columns as a focal point.

The Ancient Village is the oldest and most enduring attraction at the Heritage Center. Over the years, many people have worked in the village. Some have gone on to serve on the tribal council, or have even been elected as principal chief. Several villagers have been honored as Cherokee National Treasures.

To celebrate the anniversary of the Heritage Center’s first installment, a reunion of Ancient Village workers is planned, and the public is invited. All are invited to join the center June 30 for the 40th anniversary, which features a day of entertainment and fun for visitors of all ages.

Visitors can observe many newly planted native Oklahoma plants, and benefit from the new, covered structures, a variety of pathways and a refurbished creek. According to center officials, ease of access has improved on many levels, with all trails connecting and wheelchair accessibility throughout the grounds. New seating benches are stationed at key points along the walking paths, so visitors can enjoy the various aspects of the design and history of the village.

For those who appreciate a more hands-on experience, the Heritage Center has something in mind.

“This summer, the Heritage Center is offering an overnight experience of the ancient village unlike any other experience in this region,” said Mickel Yantz, curator of the CHC museum. “On May 12, visitors are invited to spend the night in the 16th Century, camping under the stars at the Cherokee Heritage Center. Be sure to bring a tent and a sleeping bag.”

According to Yantz, campers must be willing to leave today’s modern conveniences behind as they travel back in time to an era untouched by European influence. Participants will have the opportunity to taste traditional Cherokee foods; witness and participate in educational social dancing; listen to ancient stories handed down through generations of elders; experience life and learn, first-hand, how Cherokee ancestors started the path for the future of today’s Cherokee.

As part of the learning experience, participants will take part in a tour of the Ancient Village, blowgun shooting and stickball game, as well as opening and closing ceremonies and receiving access to the museum.

“The Cherokee Heritage Center strives to educate visitors on all aspects of Cherokee history and culture,” said Yantz. “It has permanent exhibitions that examine historical information regarding the heritage of the Cherokees.”

For those more interested in a day trip, the Heritage Center welcomes all visitors.

According to Yantz, the 36th Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale opens April 28 and runs through May 27, and features artists from across the country, who compete for $10,000 in prize money.

Museum guests can submit their vote for the “People’s Choice” award, which, according to Yantz, is highly prized among participants. Categories include paintings, graphics, sculpture, pottery, basketry, and the “Trail of Tears” theme. Another favorite is the miniature category.

“Some of our more popular entries are in the miniature category,” said Yantz. “The artists who participate have a wonderful way of expressing so much beauty within a 4-inch cube of space.”

All artwork will be up for sale, beginning with the opening at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 28. The formal awards ceremony begins at noon.

Previous visitors to the Heritage Center may remember the dramatic re-enacted of the Trail of Tears performed as a drama in the amphitheater. This year, those interested in dramatic re-enactments are in for a surprise.

New this year is “Under the Cherokee Moon,” a drama that depicts the Cherokee way of life in two stories - one told in the Adams Corner Rural Village, Indian Territory, during the 1800s, featuring Laurette Willis as Cherokee Female Seminary Graduate and teacher Carrie Bushyhead and missionary Sarah Worcester. The second story will be told in the Ancient Village in the form of an interactive show where visitors are part of an historic, fiery Cherokee Council Meeting with the leaders of 1775.

“It’s sort of a candlelight vigil taking place in both places,” said Yantz. “It’s a much more intimate setting than the previous drama in the amphitheater. It’s up close and personal, and I think people are really going to enjoy it.”

Performances will run Friday and Saturday evenings at 7, June 1 through Aug. 18.



Check it out

The Cherokee Heritage Center is three miles south of Tahlequah, just off U.S. Highway 62. For more information about any of the events, call (918) 456-6007. The Cherokee Heritage Center is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

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